Ice-cutter.



No. 633,410. Patented Sept. l9, I899. G. A. AMES.

ICE CUTTER.

(Application filed Sept. 22, 1898.) (No Model.) 3 Sfieets-Sheet l,

IN VE N TOR A TTORNE Y8.

WITNESSES TN: NORRIS wzrzns co. PuoYo-uma. wnsnmsron. u. e.

N0. 633,4!0. Patented Sept. l9, I899. G. A.'AMES.

ICE CUTTER.

\Applicaticn filed Sept. 22, 1898.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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PHcTaLrmmwAsmNomN u c No. 633,4"). Patented Sept. l9, I899.

G. A. AMES.

ICE CUTTER.

(Application filed Sept. 22, 1898.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheats-Sheet 3.

W/ TNE SSE S W N VE N 70/? @n W W Z By ATTORNEYS.

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NITED STATES GEORGE A. AMES, OF NORWICH, VERMONT.

ICE-C UTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,410, dated September 19, 1899.

Application filed September 22, 1898. Serial No. 691,578. (No modelh To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. AMES, of Norwich, in the county of lVindsor and State of Vermont, have invented a new and Improved Ice-Cutter, of which the following is full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvementiu ice-cutters of that class which are used for cutting ice on ponds and lakes; and it consists, essentially, of a sled or similar vehicle which may be drawn over the surface of the ice and carries a transverse shaft upon which are mounted toothed power-wheels and also carries a circular sawv mounted in aswinging frame and connected by suitable mechanism with the power-wheels, by which it is given rotation.

It also comprises mechanism by which the cutting-saw may be raised from the ice when desired and the power-wheels also raised clear of the ice.

My invention further comprises the novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, inwhich similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device. Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation of the forward part of the device, taken upon the line 3 3 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation taken upon the line 4 i in Fig. '2.

For convenience in transportation and also for handling my device while in use it has been mounted upon a sled A, upon which sled is placed a suitable framework A for holding the various mechanisms used in operating my device. I have herein shown a device provided with shafts lll, to which a horse or horses may be hitched and by which the mechanism is operated; but it is evident that the device maybe operated by means of an engine of any usual kind, if the same is desired. This will not, however, change the essential features of my device, which will remain as herein shown and described.

Near the forward part of the sled and upon each side thereof is located a standard A the same forming a part of the sled-frame A, which standard has a slot a formed therein for receiving pairs of blocks G Gr, respectively located near the bottom and top of said slot, and these blocks are connected by any suitable means, which, as herein shown, consists of a rod g, said blocks beingadapted to move up or down in said slot and being held at a uniform distance apart by said connection g. Through the lower pair G of these blocks passes a shaft E, extending entirely across the machine, and upon each end of said shaft is mounted a power-wheel E, each power-wheel having a series of saw-teeth e, projecting from its peripheryand adapted to engage the ice, and thus to secure rotation of the wheel. The periphery of the wheel each side of the saw-teeth is given a beveled surface 6, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, which will prevent snow and fine particles of ice from collecting upon the surface of the wheel, as would occur if the surface of the wheel were cylindrical.

Through the upper pair of blocks G passes a second transverse shaft F, which is journaled in the blocks and carries a pinion F, which meshes with a gear E secured upon the shaft E", which carries the power-wheels. The shaft F also has a sprocket-wheel mounted thereon, and over said sprocketwheel passes a sprocket chain D, which extends backward and passes about a smaller sprocket-wheel (1 upon a transverse shaft B This shaft is located near the upper rearpart of the frame carried by the sled, and it also has mounted thereon a sprocket-wheel d, over which passes a sprocket-chain D. a On the shaft B is also pivoted a frame B,which extends rearwardly and at its rear end carries a transverse shaft 13 said shaft having a circular saw B secured thereto and a sprocket-wheel (Z, which sprocket-wheel d is connected with the sprocketwheel (Z by means of the sprocket-chain D. To the swinging frame B is secured a bolt or bolts 1), which pass through the curved slots to in a bar A which forms a part of the sled-frame. By this means the swinging frame 13 may be-adjusted in elevation and the level of the saw relative to the surface of the ice changed. If desired, the bolt may be locked temporarily in position. Itis, however, desirable, if not necessary, for convenient handling of the machine that the bolt 1) should move freely in the slot (1,. The swinging frame B is handled by means of a bell-crank lever O, which is mounted upon a shaft 0, carried by the frame and is connected by the link C to the frame B and by the link C to the operatinglever C This operating-lever is within reach of the driver and is secured in.any desired position by means of a spring-catch of any suitable construction,which engages with a segment-bar C The saw B will have to he lifted from the ice whenever the machine is turned around. The blocks which carry the power-wheels E are also movable vertically in the slots at, as previously described, so that the power-wheels may also be lifted from the ice whenever desired, which is accomplished by the following means:

Upon each side of the device a lever II is pivoted to the frame by a pivot h, and one end of these levers projects beneath the lower blocks G, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4. This end of the lever may, if desired, be provided with a friction-roller h, as shown in Fig. 4. A little to the rear of the pivots h is a transverse shaft I, which has two arms I located at each side of the device and connected by links I with the rear ends of the levers H. The shaft I also has a centrallylocated arm I secured thereto and connected by a link I with the lower end of the lever 1 said lever being pivoted at I upon the frame and having its upper end in convenient position for operation by the driver. A catch I is provided, which will engage the upper end of the lever 1 and hold the powerwheels elevated when it is desired to move the same without the wheels being in engagement with the ice. A seat K is mounted upon the frame in convenient position for handling the various levers described.

Located one near the forward and one near the rearward end of the sled are two trans verse shafts J, and to the ends of these shafts are secured guide blades J and J The blades J extend rearwardly from the shaft and the blades J forwardly therefrom, and the blades J are upon one side of the sled, while the blades J 4 are upon the opposite side. These blades consist of thin plates of metal and are adapted to enter the grooves cut by the saw in its preceding course over the ice and are located at a distance each side of the saw corresponding with the size of the ice-cake to be cut. The two blades upon one side of the sled are forced downward until they engage the groove, and thus guide the cutter straight over the ice, making the cakes of uniform size. Only one set of these blades is used at a time, and when one set is lowered into a groove the other set of blades is raised above the ice.

The shafts J are mounted to rock in their bearings and in their middle position hold both sets of guides clear of the ice. They are rocked by the following mechanism: To each of the shafts is secured a lever-arm J and the two arms are connected by a bar or link A lever J which is pivoted upon the frame, has a slot L in its lower end, which engages a pin L upon the bar J This lever is provided at its upper end with a suitable locking device, by which it may be engaged with a segment-bar J and thus hold the guides in whatever position they are adjusted.

In using my device the power-wheels E are permitted to run upon the ice. By their sharp teeth 6 they engage the ice and are turned by the mechanism described and communicate a rotary motion to the circular saw B which saw is dropped until its lower edge will cut to the required depth beneath the surface. After the first groove has been made in the ice one of the said guides J or J is dropped to engage the groove and thus to guide the machine over the ice.

It is evident that a .motor of any kind may be mounted upon the machine to furnish the power for operating the same instead of horses, as described. In this case the wheels E would still remain power-wheels,by which the machine would bewpropelled over the ice. In such case the teeth 6 would probably be inclined in the direction opposite that shown in the drawings.

The shafts or tongue will be attached to the sled in such a manner as to permit of a slight lateral swinging, so that the sled and its guides may follow the previous out without straining the parts, even if the horse varies from the straight line. The shafts M are connected by cross-bars N at their rear ends, and these bars are pivotally connected at their center by a bar P to a bar R, which is pivotally connected to a shaft S or an equivalent pivoting device upon the sled-frame. The connection of the shafts to the sled is only by the bar P, and this is by a pivot 19, so that the shafts are free to swing sidewise a limited degree or until the ends of the rear bar N contact with the bar R. The shafts are prevented from rocking by bars 0, which are secured to the under sides of the bars N and extend under the bar R, but without being secured thereto.

With this device it is possible to cut the ice the desired depth at one operation, thus saving a great deal of time in harvesting ice, as with the plows ordinarily used for this purpose it is necessary to make several trips over the ice before the groove is of the required depth. The saw being much thinner than the ice-plow it removes much less'ice, and consequently consumes much less power in its operation, thus enabling a greater depth to be seen red with the same amount of power.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In an ice-cutting apparatus, the combination with a carriage, of traction-gear, a shaft driven thereby, a sprocket-wheel on the shaft, a second shaft mounted on the carriage, a frame mounted to swing about said second shaft, a sprocket-wheel attached to the second shaft to drive it, a chain running between the two sprocket wheels to drive the second shaft, a saw-shaft mounted on the free portion of the frame, a sprocketand-chain gearing between the said second shaft and the saw shaft, a bellcrank lever mounted on the carriage, a link connecting the bell-cranklever with the swinging frame, a hand-lever mounted on the carriage, and a link extending between the handlever and the bell'crank lever.

2. In an ice-cutting apparatus, the combination with a carriage and with the cuttingtool, of a shaft, traction wheels attached to the shaft and serving to drive the same, boxes in which the shaft is carried, the boxes being vertically slidable in the carriage, a second shaft, boxes in which the second shaft is mounted, the boxes of the second shaft being also slidable in the carriage. means for connecting the two sets of boxes so that the two shafts move in unison, gearing for driving the second shaft from the first shaft, gearing between the second shaft and the ice-cutting tool, to drive the said tool, a hand-lever mounted on the carriage, a link in connection with the hand-lever, a rockshaft mounted on the carriage, a crank attached to the link and to the rock -shaft, a second crank on the rock-shaft, a bell-crank lever mounted on the carriage and engaging one of the boxes to raise and lower the same, and a link between the second crank of the rock-shaft and the bell-crank lever.

3. In an ice-cutting apparatus, the combination with the carriage and the ice-cutting tool, of a shaft, traction wheels for driving the shaft, boxes in which the shaft is mounted, the boxes being vertically slid-able on the carriage, a second shaft, gearing driving the same from the first shaft, boxes in which the second shaft is mounted, the boxes of the second shaft being vertically slidable in the frame, a connection between the two sets of boxes to move the same in unison, gearing for driving the ice-cutting tool from the said second shaft, and'meaus for raising and lowering the two shafts.

4. In an ice-cutting apparatus, the combination with a carriage and with the ice-cutting tool, of a shaft, traction-gearing for driving the same, the shaft being vertically movable with the traction -gearing, gearing between the said shaft and the ice-cutting tool -to drive the latter, a bell-crank lever mounted on the carriage and serving to raise and lower the traction-gearing and the said shaft, a rockshaft mounted on the carriage and having connection with the bell-crank lever, and a hand-lever mounted on the carriage and having connection with the rock-shaft.

5. In an ice-cutting apparatus, the combi nation with a carriage and with the ice-cut ting tool, of two rock-shafts mounted on the carriage, two sets of guide-blades, the members of which are respectively carried on the rock-shafts, the guide-blades swinging with the rock-shafts to alternately throw the sets of blades into and out of engagement, an arm attached to each rock-shaft, a link extending between the arms, and a hand-lever having connection with the link.

GEORGE A. AMES.

Witnesses:

DANIEL O. HYDE, IDELLA M. SWIFT. 

